The Good Kind of Pain

One hour and forty-five minutes of constant practicing with a particularly hard volleyball.

Maybe some would say that it’s not much of a feat, but to me, it certainly is. It’s the first time I’ve ever willingly practiced a sport of pain, and it’s also the longest time I’ve ever willingly practiced any sport in one sitting. And I’ve certainly got the battle scars to show for it.

My right arm is now littered with tiny bruises and dots of clotted blood. My wrist has an invisible, tender, slightly swollen spot more painful than any of the bruises.

And yes, I feel like I’ve been battered by a meat tenderizer. It’s better now, but last night, my arm got hit by one breeze from the electric fan and it twinged with pain. I never thought that could happen.

The practice itself was amazing. Constantly hitting the (much too hard) ball with as much strength as I could muster, until I was crying out with the pain of trying to serve… And still continuing to practice. By the time we finished, my arm looked like it had a thick red glove on it, and by the time night fell, the clots decided to show themselves.

All in all it was a great experience, one I would like to repeat.

Thanks, Adrian. For the ball and for teaching me. I came out injured, and not a victor in the battle to conquer volleyball, but I came out with newfound courage. Next time I’ll be injured still, but triumphant.

Oh yeah. And one day, I’ll be in a volleyball team. I’ll make sure of it.

IRRI and an Oscar

The IRRI trip was so fun. Actually, all of yesterday was fun. But twelve grueling hours of traveling took its toll on me. >.< I’m happy to be home. But I did get home at 11:30 pm. XD

I lost my beloved purple koala finger puppet, and my fourth hairclip. I’m so sad. I really loved that purple koala, but I guess this is a lesson for me- I should take care of my things more.

Aside from that, the IRRI trip was one of the best field trips I’ve ever had. I adore the lab there. They’ve got an awesome shaker incubator, a really awesome tissue bank, a giant autoclave, cool centrifuges, four PCRs, disposable sterile plastic Petri plates, an amazingly perfect way of parafilming (must come with practice, hehe) and KIMWIPES. Kimwipes are made by a branch of Kimberly Clark called Kimtech Science, and they’re basically tissues that don’t leave lint. XD They’re awesome.

I wasn’t too interested in the screenhouses, where they grow the plants they modify, but yeah. It comes with it. Pretty interesting too, I guess.

They have this infinite experiment going on there, it started in 1963.. From what I gathered they were looking at the effects of long-term intensive rice growing in a certain field, and they were using different amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. There was also this cool experiment involving C3 and C4 plants, which I won’t expound on much.

They have the Riceworld museum thing there, and I was honestly amazed at the number of things one can make with rice. Also, it was really cool looking at the different instruments used in planting and harvesting rice, and some stuff about fish hunting for some reason. I mean, I figured I wouldn’t really see anything new because I live somewhere between the coastal and the agricultural area of Pangasinan, but to my surprise I found out a lot of stuff I didn’t know before. XD

On top of that, their caf is cool. It’s airconditioned, and they sell this MOUND of rice for six pesos. SIX PESOS. And it was slightly difficult for me to finish it- and as you may know, I LOVE rice and usually eat a lot when I can, so this is quite remarkable.

On a side note, I took this test in Blogthings and I was pretty pleased with the result. Now, if only I could apply it in real life. T_T Maybe one day I’ll be able to wear my costumes to my heart’s content. For now, I’ll settle with wearing the most adorable (but some people would consider them very weird) outfits I can think of.

You Would Win Best Costume Design

You are imaginative, artistic, and very unique. You are a natural designer.You can picture entire movies in your head. You are incredibly visual.As long as you can remember, you’ve always had a flare for fashion. You like to experiment with looks. You like dressing up in costumes and outfits. And not just for Halloween!

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

Geek in the Pink <3

My latest obsession.

Geek In The Pink – jason mraz

Geek in the Pink, by Jason Mraz. It’s a really really cute song, I can’t believe I only found out about it recently. I know it was used in a few fanfics (which is why the title is familiar), mostly in anime fandoms like Naruto and Death Note. In DN, it’s used to refer to Matt I don’t know why, he never wears pink, but still.

Loss of Power

T_T I fear I can no longer dance.

As you may know, I love dancing, but I haven’t been able to practice in a long time. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking of starting again- why stop doing something I love?

So I woke up this morning, and decided to test my flexibility. All seemed well, but I had to work out a few kinks in the muscle.

When I got back to the dorm from the Achievement Test, I stretched a bit more- this time, some more complicated things, putting stress where one wouldn’t normally put stress- unless of course, you’re a dancer. (Which I hope to become one day)

Incidentally I discovered that my legs had lost some of their flexibility around the knees and hips, so I tested it by doing one of the cheerdance moves from first year- the log thingy, basically where you roll around the floor. And, as I feared, I couldn’t do it properly.

I tried testing my spine’s flexibility- to my horror, my torso didn’t curve properly. I had to practice that a bit more.

And then, I tried a few dance moves from summer. I COULD NOT EXECUTE THEM PROPERLY.

I have lost all power to dance.

I’m sure it’ll come back with practice, but when can I practice? I was just lucky now that all my room mates are gone, so I could practice alone.

Was it a mistake to decline joining SaGala?

Oh well. I’ll find out in a few more days. Meanwhile I’ll be testing strength as well as flexibility.

Hope I can get back in shape.

The Dawn of a New Era

OMG. OMG. OMG.

I think I’m changing. It’s… satisfying, of course, but it’s still quite… freaky.

I’m becoming more determined to succeed. I’m studying more. I’m becoming my second year self again- but still, I’m different.

One thing that worries me is this: I have been ingesting dangerous amounts of (dare I say it) healthy food. Like now, as I’m having dinner- I have just voluntarily eaten two pieces of carrot. Now, you may laugh, but to me that is a LOT.

Also, I haven’t been having butter with my popcorn. Okay, I still can’t give up popcorn, but I can at least give up the… delightful melted butter… drizzled on top… mm… STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!!!

Another thing is, I haven’t been having much instant noodles. Okay, well, I admit I had Tekki Yakiudon yesterday when I was starving and begging for something to eat because it was too late to go to the caf. But usually I have cup noodles thrice a week, and that was the first in three weeks.

Things are changing, for the better I think. Hopefully I have the discipline to continue changing.

Envy

As you can see, I’ve gotten myself a new blog header. It’s beautiful.

Taken from DeviantArt. It’s Field of Innocence by freaky665.

This is the full picture:

I somewhat envy the girl. She looks so happy, so innocent, so free. I wish I could be like her- but there is no place for freedom like that in the world now.

We live now surrounded by… everyone, I guess. It’s impossible to find the time to let loose, run wild and barefoot in a grassy field. We all have to think about our futures, the people dependent on us, the appearances we have to keep up, and when and what our next meal will be. And this has sown discord in us- some of the rich look down on the poorer people, but then, those less fortunate in life have prejudices against the richer. The truth is, we’re all the same, striving for something better than what we have now, never giving ourselves a chance to rest.

I wish I could be like her- free to run around and not worry about tests and grades and futures. I wish I could return to that kind of childlike innocence, where nothing of the world’s cruelties and hardships can reach me. I wish we could all be that way.

Prom Piccies! :D

Stolen from people with Multiply accounts. XD

Only three, sorry. Limited space. And I’m not really one to post pictures on a blog. I’m just making an exception here.

The first has Mickey and I on top, then (left to right) Ate Kelsy, Ate Prissy, Kuya Gero.

The second is most of the original Caruso family with Sir Joey. (Top, left to right) Aldrich, Sir Joey, Rain, Kiefer, King. (Bottom, left to right) Me, Mickey, Cara.

The third is Andie with Adrian.

We all look so awesome XD

Rouge.

Prom night was absolutely awesome.

It was a perfect night for me, honestly. Everyone had amazing dresses and suits, the decor was fantastic, the food was good- and for the first time in my life I felt… pretty.

I was able to dance with some of my guy friends, and I had so many pictures taken with my girl friends. And I’ve even lost track of how many official photos I had taken! I’ll try to remember here. First with Mickey, second with Adrian, third with the original Caruso Family, fourth with Beryllium, fifth with Sampa, sixth with Lab Tech, seventh with Nathan and Gian. I think I’m missing something ) But I know that the last one was definitely with Nathan and Gian.

I’m so happy, really. I got a pretty bouquet and absolutely gorgeous corsage from Adrian, and Nathan even gave me a really beautiful white rose. It was sweet of both of them to remember my favourite flower. I danced with Adrian three times, though I admit I was a horrible dance partner ) By the time Nathan asked me I was pretty much okay so it wasn’t that awkward anymore. Besides, he didn’t know how to dance either. I danced with Gian for a bit- we were actually able to convince him to ask someone! Awesome. I danced with him again, a full song this time, and then I danced the last song with Nathan again. I feel a bit bad though- just as the song ended, Nickolo came and invited me, but then, yeah, it was the last song so no more music.

But I did more than dance and take pictures- I was able to talk to loads of friends, and Nathan and I actually were able to help Gian with… something. (Not sure if I should say it or not).

I’m happy, though- my self-esteem has always been pretty low, so it felt really great to actually feel good about myself tonight. I was my usual happy self, but I was confident as well. I actually was able to get a lot of compliments from people- but the most unusual compliment of all was from Gian. He said “I was able to compare you to a 2-dimensional girl.” And that, to me, is a huge compliment coming from him. )

And for that, I offer my thanks to Patis Tesoro, Salon Paradisus, and Barbie Chan. XD Thank you so much for boosting my self-esteem so high.

The only thing that didn’t go according to plan was the after-prom. The original Caruso family and Adrian were supposed to go out to Timezone right after the prom and play until 1:30 in the morning, but sadly a lot of people couldn’t go, and we were all pretty tired. Actually, I wasn’t really, but my feet hurt. So yeah, nevermind. Too bad, it would have been fun to see people’s faces when we walked in, formal wear and all. ) Nice.

Anyway I don’t have my own camera, so I rely on other people I’ll be uploading some pics from them onto my Multiply, I guess in a few days. For now, I should sleep. Big day ahead, lots of homework. Goodnight!

Thanks, and a Video

Friends! Thanks ever so much for your awesome presents. You guys are so great. XD I feel so happy to have known you. I love you guys.

So anyway, my sisters are back from their respective countries- I haven’t cried so much in ages. It’s great to have them back for Christmas. It’s like everything’s back to normal again.

Oh, they showed me this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA . It’s really nice, inspiring and moving- to Everything, by Lifehouse. It’s a skit, no dialogue, but the actions speak volumes.

Slumbook Entry!

Got this from Bea. It’s terribly long, but hey! It was fun.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU…

Name: (I’m paranoid)
Nickname: Isa
Address: (paranoid)
Religion: Roman Catholic
Birthday: (paranoid)
Age: 15
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Telephone Number: secret
Cellphone Number: secret
Website: http:// gossamerethereality. wordpress. com
E-mail Address: paranoid
Likes: MANY THINGS
Dislikes: MANY THINGS
Motto: A little faith goes a long way.

FAVORITES

Food: …. spaghetti. XD The kind we eat at home.
Junkfood: POPCORN.
Gum/Candy: um… dunno. XD
Chocolate: er… Belgian Praline
Seasoning: … something spicy and salty?
Flavors: see above
Drinks: water & sprite & apple juice!

Fruits: APPLES
Vegetables: …. hahaha
Flowers: um, white roses?
Trees: cherry trees
Pets: Euclid Descartes II, my albino rabbit XD
Insects: …. right.

Color: PURPLE
Number: 9 or 13
Gem: um… Amethyst?
Subject: BIOLOGY
Teacher: … Several.

Clothes: what’s this, brand? um.. Nike or Adidas
Pants: NOT APPLICABLE. I like skirts.
Shoes/Sandals: SKECHERS
Bag: I don’t really care much, but Samsonite’s sturdy
Mall: RPM or Trinoma or Greenbelt
Vehicle: The MRT/LRT

Book: too many to count
Magazine: Reader’s Digest
Comics: TOO MANY TO COUNT HAHAHA
Stories: ONCE AGAIN TOO MANY TO COUNT
Authors: ahahahaha see above
Book Characters: …. secret. Too many
Superheroes: Robin.
Sports: um…. not applicable? haha
Players: Raikkonen, Lampard

Actor: Johnny Depp
Actress: um.. not sure
Celebrities: um.. I dunno either haha
Movies: many, I guess
TV Channel: not applicable
TV Show: not applicable
Cartoon Show: not applicable
Cartoon Characters: not applicable
Anime Show: MANY
Anime Characters: WAY TOO MANY
Band: Muse, Lifehouse, Coldplay, Michael Learns to Rock, Nightwish
Singer: Matthew Bellamy, Tarja Turunen
Song: Ghost Love Score

Toys: um… haha, figurines.
Children Games: dunno
Console Games:um.. Tekken & Monster Rancher
Online Games: not applicable XD
Computer Games: Monster Rancher on the emulator

Appliance: LAPTOP
Chatroom: not applicable
Planet: aside from Earth? Formalhaut.. haha, kidding. Saturn
Constellation: Orion because it’s the only one I can see
Star: Alpha Centauri, if it’s even a star
Salawakain: what?
Hangouts: I dunno.
Inspiration: MANY THINGS
Feelings: favourite feeling? LOVE hahaha
Expressions: “waaaaaa”
Cellphone: dunno

Weather: cloudy but bright, kinda cool
Climate: ummmm not sure
Time: very early morning, as in 1 AM
Day: uh.. Christmas Eve?
Month: I don’t know, but not November, hehe.
Season: Spring!
Holiday: Summer

SWEET NOTHINGS

Evaluate Yourself: what?
What is a friend: someone who cares about me
Describe them: See above description..?
What is a friendship: What should be an eternal happy bond.
Who are your friends: VERY MANY
Who are your bestfriends: Actually, a lot. You know who you are.
What is an enemy: Something that no one should have.
What is love: The best thing in the world.
Who is your loved one: uh, many people? Family included.
Describe him/her: oh. So that’s what you meant. XD
What is a crush: Something that causes extreme happiness and depression at the same time.
Who is your crush: Do you honestly think I’ll say? In fact I’m not even sure anymore
Describe him/her: …. hahaha.
Good Qualities: … hahaha
Bad Qualities:…. hahaha
Most Embarassing Experience:… HAHAHAHA
When:
Where:
Happiest Moment: very many
When: many times
Where: many places
Most Unforgettable Experience: I appear to have forgotten
When:
Where:
Biggest Achievement:Getting into Pisay. And of course, passing a Math 4 LT, hahaha
When: ?
Where: ?
Biggest Failure: hehe
When: haha
Where: huhuhu
Greatest Dream: To study Biological Sciences in Nanyang Technological University, then go on for a Master’s Degree at Oxford University, then establish a biomedical research center in the Philippines.

MESSAGE:
THAT WAS LONG. I’m tired.

Whew. That was a lot. XD Thanks Bea!